Miles Ahead Voted Claiming Crown Horse of the Year

Miles Ahead (g, 5, Competitive Edge–Jennie R., by Awesome Again), winner of last term's GIII Smile Sprint Invitational S. and the Claiming Crown Rapid Transit, has been named the 2021 Claiming Crown Horse of the Year. The honor is voted on by the National HBPA's Industry Awards Committee, chaired by Todd Mostoller from the Pennsylvania HBPA.

Miles Ahead will be recognized at the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA) annual awards dinner on Sept. 10. The Claiming Crown–designed to give the blue-collar workhorses their own championship day–is sponsored by the National Horsemen's Benevolent & Protective Association, TOBA and the host track.

Miles Ahead was purchased in 2019 for $175,000 at the OBS March 2-year-old in training sale by trainer Eddie Plesa, Jr. and the ownership partnership of David Melin, Leon Ellman and the trainer's wife, Laurie. After winning the Gulfstream Park Sprint S. in February, they accepted an offer to sell the gelding, who now races for Jay Em Ess Stable and is trained by Paul McGee. Miles Ahead most recently finished second by a neck to GI Breeders' Cup Sprint winner Aloha West in the Kelly's Landing S.

Eric Hamelback, NHBPA CEO, said Miles Ahead epitomizes what the Claiming Crown and the Claiming Crown Horse of the Year were created to recognize.

“The committee zeroed in on Miles Ahead and felt as if the horse and the connections were indeed the horse to be recognized for their accomplishments,” Hamelback said. “We are pleased that we can recognize and award a trophy to Miles Ahead at this year's TOBA awards ceremony.”

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Florida HBPA Honors Dwoskin, Con Lima At Annual Awards Ceremony

The Florida HBPA held its annual General Nominating Meeting and Awards Dinner Saturday night at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., with nearly 100 owners, trainers, jockeys, grooms, and racing executives in attendance at Ten Palms. The guest speaker was the new President and CEO of the NTRA, Tom Rooney. The evening closed with the annual FHBPA Awards Ceremony. Host Ron Nicoletti announced the winners in nine categories.

“Each year, the Florida HBPA recognizes the horses that shine not just during the Championship Meet, but year-round in South Florida,” FHBPA President Stephen Screnci said. “All of our Champions competed at Gulfstream during the Royal Palm and Flamingo Festival meets that run from April through November.

“We also changed it up a little this year to honor one of our owners or trainers not just for their accomplishments on the racetrack, but also for their contributions to our community,” Screnci added. “Steve Dwoskin is our first FHBPA 'Person of Distinction,' and we couldn't have found a worthier candidate for the award.”

An owner and trainer in South Florida since 1969, Dwoskin has long been a partner with Sylvester Comprehensive Care Center, a part of the University of Miami Health System (UHealth). A generous donation to Sylvester helped to fund the Dwoskin Proton Therapy Center, which began treating patients with advanced and precise radiation therapy last September.

He is also the owner/trainer of this year's Champion Older Filly/Mare Choose Joy.

Dwoskin, who lost his father and brother to cancer, was emotional when he said, “I can handle most anything, but I couldn't handle it when my brother and my father got cancer. When I first got involved [with Sylvester], it was strictly for research, trying to find a cure for cancer. But I got pretty strong there, and I started helping people, friends, and family. If anyone from the horse industry ever needs help, I'm here for you. Helping people – that's what makes me feel really good.”

The complete list of the 2021 FHBPA Champions is:

Person of Distinction: Steve Dwoskin

Two-Year-Old Colt/Gelding: Octane (Arindel, Owner; Carlos David, Trainer)

Two-Year-Old Filly: Outfoxed (LNJ Foxwoods, Owner; Bill Mott, Trainer)

Three-Year-Old Colt: Papetu (Magic Stables LLC, Owner; Antonio Sano, Trainer)

Three-Year-Old Filly: Con Lima (Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Joseph F. Graffeo, Eric Nikolaus Del Toro, and Troy Johnson, Owner; Todd Pletcher, Trainer)

Older Horse/Gelding: Miles Ahead (David Melin, Leon Ellman, and Laurie Plesa, Owner; Eddie Plesa, Trainer)

Older Filly/Mare: Choose Joy (Steve Dwoskin, Owner/Trainer)

Turf Horse/Gelding: Warrior's Pride (Just for Fun Stables, Owner; Antonio Cioffi, Trainer)

Turf Filly/Mare: Shifty She (Chris Pallas and Harvey Rothenberg, Owner; Saffie Joseph Jr., Trainer)

The Dinner also featured the nominations for the 2022 FHPBA Election, which will be announced next week.

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Jockey Paco Lopez Posts Five-Win Day Saturday At Gulfstream Park

Jockey Paco Lopez put the finishing touches on a five-win afternoon by guiding Patricia Generazio homebred Mid Day Image to a front-running 1 ¼-length triumph in the $95,000 Claiming Crown Emerald Saturday at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

The 1 1/16-mile Emerald was the last of nine starter stakes worth $810,000 in purses on the 23rd Claiming Crown program, being held at Gulfstream for the 10th consecutive year. For 3-year-olds and up which have started for a claiming price of $25,000 or less in 2020-21, the Emerald was the last of four turf stakes.

Created by the National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association in partnership with the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, the Claiming Crown rewards and pays tribute to the horses and horsemen that provide the foundation for day-to-day racing programs at tracks around the country.

Lopez, who shares the Gulfstream track record with seven wins on a single card, notched four of his wins in the Claiming Crown. He had consecutive victories with Joe Di Baggio ($6) in Race 2, Blue Steel ($9.40) in the $75,000 Iron Horse Kent Stirling Memorial, and Payntdembluesaway ($5.60) in the $90,000 Distaff Dash, and captured the $85,000 Rapid Transit with Miles Ahead ($4.60). He also finished second with Xy Speed in the $90,000 Canterbury and Hanalei's Houdini in the $125,000 Jewel, beaten less than two combined lengths.

“Not too bad a day. We had five wins and a couple seconds,” Lopez said. “My horses ran very well today.”

Mid Day Image entered the Emerald off back-to-back wins at Monmouth Parkin in Oceanport, N.J., the most recent coming Sept. 12, both in gate-to-wire fashion. The 5-year-old Midshipman gelding went straight to the lead from his rail post, posting fractions of :23.39, :47.73, and 1:11.22 chased by Clear Vision with 9-5 favorite Max K.O. looming in the clear in third.

Lopez and Mid Day Image maintained a clear advantage at the top of the stretch and continued on once set down for the drive, with Clear Vision unable to make up ground. Attentive came on late to get third, with Light Fury fourth and Max K.O. fifth. The winning time was 1:39.82 over a firm course.

“[Mid Day Image] has a lot of speed. Max K.O., I was scared of that horse because he's fast, too. I know that horse,” Lopez said. “I give credit to my horse. He's very, very good. He put me right there and [trainer Luis] Carvajal [Jr.] told me, 'Paco, that horse is ready today.'”

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Lopez, Joseph Jr. Crowd Claiming Crown Winner’s Circle

Trainer Mike Maker racked up his series-leading 19th career Claiming Crown victory, conditioner Saffie Joseph Jr. won three of the stakes conducted under starter-allowance conditions, and jockey Paco Lopez won five races overall on the Saturday card to kick off the championship meet at Gulfstream Park.

The Claiming Crown began in 1999 as a blue-collar version of the Breeders' Cup to reward primarily older horses who compete in the types of races that form the backbone of day-to-day American racing.

But oddly enough, it was a lightly-raced 3-year-old homebred who snuck up the rail to win the Dec. 4 feature, the $125,000

CC Jewel S. over nine furlongs in a 10-1 upset.

Twelve Volt Man (Violence) stalked patiently in mid-pack, then dove to the rail under deft handling by jockey Edwin Gonzalez to reel in a tiring leader in the final hundred yards for trainer Joseph Jr. and owner Magic Cap Stables. The winning margin was three-quarters of a length in 1:49.92 over a “fast” main track.

“I thought that maybe I'd get beat at the wire there, but a lot of heart this horse has,” said owner/breeder Joe Anzalone, who eventually sold the mare but kept this gelding. “Words can't say [how proud I am]. I'm still shaking.”

The annual CC event is a partnership between the National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association. After initially rotating among smaller tracks, Gulfstream has evolved into the host site over the past 10 years.

All of Saturday's winners could have been previously snagged at the claim box for relatively low asking prices prior to competing for comparably higher CC purses.

Miles Ahead (Competitive Edge) was one such gelding. There were no takers when he broke his maiden by 12 1/4 lengths for a $12,500 tag back in January 2020. He finished seventh in last year's edition of this $85,000 CC Rapid Transit S., but subsequently won the GIII Smile Sprint S. and had a trip-troubled last-place try in the GI Vanderbilt H. at Saratoga this past summer.

On Saturday he avenged last year's CC defeat by winning the Rapid Transit by 1 1/4 lengths as the 13-10 favorite with a sweeping far-turn bid in 1:21.99 for seven furlongs. Lopez rode for owners David Melin, Leon Ellman, and Laurie Plesa.

“Races like the Claiming Crown are the bread and butter of horse racing,” said trainer Ed Plesa Jr. “It's great to see that they have a day like this, not because I won, but just because the everyday participants of the races are the ones that need a little bit more 'oomph.'”

Another winner on Saturday who set the record straight after losing the same stakes a year ago was the 3-1 Sugar Fix (Treasure Beach {GB}). The 4-year-old filly was second in the 2020 CC Tiara S., but in this season's $95,000 edition she pounced from just off the pace to win by 1 1/4 lengths in 1:40.19 for 1 1/16 miles over the “firm” turf.

Edgard Zayas rode for trainer Joseph Jr. and owners Mad Dog Racing Stable and Big Frank Stable.

One winner who was a re-claim for current connections stood out: Bad Beat Brian (Jack Milton) in the $90,000 CC Canterbury S. over five furlongs over the lawn.

The 4-year-old gelding had been claimed away for $62,500 at Churchill June 11, but was taken back for $40,000 by trainer Maker and owners Paradise Farms and David Staudacher in his next start July 16 at Del Mar.

Bad Beat Brian then waited until his fourth start off that re-claim to pay 4-1 dividends in the toughest spot he'd ever been entered. He surged down the center of the stretch to win by a length under Emisael Jaramillo in :54.78.

In the companion $90,000 CC Distaff Dash S. over five furlongs on the grass, 9-5 fave Payntdembluesaway (Paynter) bounded straight to the lead, dueled head-and-head with a 45-1 longshot, then asserted her dominance at the eighth pole to win going away by four lengths in :55.31.

Lopez rode for trainer Jane Cibelli and All My Hart Racing, Inc.

Despite a sweet 8-for-13 lifetime record, the 5-year-old mare has never been claimed despite being offered for $16,000 on four occasions. She's now 4-for-5 sprinting on the Gulfstream turf.

“She's tough. She likes to have things her own way and she's a little tough to train. But if she has things her own way, she's fast. She just loves to run,” said Cibelli.

In the one-turn-mile $80,000 CC Glass Slipper S., Sweet Willemina (Raison d'Etat) uncorked a long drive and split foes late to snatch a head victory at 8-1 odds in 1:36.68.

Silvestre Gonzalez rode for owners Richard Ciavardone and Home Team Stables. The win for conditioner Scott Lake was his ninth (third best among all trainers) in the history of the CC.

The 4-year-old filly was mired in a nine-race losing streak when those connections claimed her for $32,000 June 21 at Churchill Downs. She promptly won six straight Parx and Delaware, then ran second in her last outing up north before getting reacquainted with the winner's circle on Saturday.

In the six-furlong $75,000 CC Express S., the 9-2 Face of Victory (Run Away and Hide) tallied by 1 1/4 lengths in 1:10.52 under Zayas for trainer Joseph Jr. and owner Mercy Man Racing.

The 7-year-old gelding was the oldest CC winner on Saturday's card. He had changed hands via claim for $8,000 and $10,000 earlier this year at Gulfstream.

Blue Steel (Will Take Charge) was an aptly named winner of the afternoon's first CC event, the $75,000 CC Iron Horse S.

The 5-year-old gelding is usually a front-end force. But on Saturday he stalked tepid fractions, took over on the backstretch, and was saved by the wire while losing steam late over 1 1/16 miles at 7-2 odds in 1:44.61.

Blue Steel was ridden by Lopez for trainer Jeff Hiles and owner James Woodruff. He's been a frequent winning shipper this season, getting his photo snapped on six occasions at five tracks (Mahoning Valley, Keeneland, Belterra, Indiana Grand and Gulfstream).

Lopez bookended the CC portion of the program with victories (four wins and two seconds in CC races, plus a score in a non-stakes undercard race). He decisively stormed straight to the front in the nightcap to control the pace in the $95,000

CC Emerald S. with Mid Day Image (Midshipman).

The 5-year-old homebred for Patricia Generazio had been last seen winning back-to-back starter-handicaps at Monmouth. Trainer Luis Carvajal had the speedster ready off a nearly three-month layoff to win at 3-1 odds in 1:39.82.

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